The Reveal
by InRelativeTime
Summary: This is how I imagine Merlin revealing his magic to Arthur. During the Battle of Camlann, when all hope is lost, Merlin reveals his magic to save the ones he cares for most. Hinted Merthur.


_**This is how I imagine Merlin revealing his magic to Arthur. This is my first "story" so please be kind. Enjoy.**_

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**Merlin's Magic Reveal**

The battle was almost over. When Arthur was finally dead, the Battle of Camlann would be lost, and the kingdom of Camelot would soon fall. Kneeling before Mordred, Arthur leaned against his sword for support. He had a deep wound in his right side that kept bleeding, and he struggled to keep his composure. He gazed across the sea of bodies, all clad in the armour of Camelot; the crest of Pendragon worn with pride. Some were dead, others were alive and also kneeling, with swords aimed at their heads awaiting the signal to strike. Looking to his left, he saw four of his closest knights and friends: Gwaine; Percival; Leon; and, Elyan.

"Let them go." Arthur's voice was firm and strong, and he shifting his gaze back to Mordred. "Your fight was with my father, and is now with me. You kill me, and Camelot is yours; but, leave my knights alone. Leave my people alone." For the longest time, Mordred simply stared at Arthur. No verbal, physical, or emotional response was made, and Arthur was hoping that maybe he'd struck a cord with Mordred and his people would be free.

"We fight together; we die together. If you kill Arthur, you'll have to kill me, too." Gwaine said. He was stoic with his words and expression, and spoke from the heart.

"Me, too." Percival asserted.

"And me." Said Leon.

"And me." Finished Elyan.

"How… touching." Mordred hissed; amusement and sarcasm dripping from his voice. "On the count of three, kill the dark one." A flash of fear passed over Elyan's face, but he quickly shook it off, accepting death in the line of duty. "1… 2…"

"Mordred!" A distant voice interrupted the count, making Mordred turn on the spot. His eyes fell on the distant figure of Merlin as he made his way toward Mordred and the knights, his face set with a hard, determined expression.

"Merlin?" Arthur yelled. "What do you think you're doing? Run!" One of Mordred's men came up behind Arthur and hit him over the head, scolding him for speaking.

"Ah, _Merlin_…" Mordred finally spoke up, emphasising the name. "Still hiding, I see. I take it you… dealt with Morgana?"

Merlin shifted uncomfortably where he stood, then looked at Arthur. "I'm sorry, Arthur. I never wanted it to be this way." He looked almost ashamed of himself as he looked into Arthur's eyes, but he also seemed to hold a strange sense of authority. It was Merlin's job to protect Arthur; to ensure that Arthur fulfilled his destiny, and he fully intended on accomplishing his task; to whatever end. "Forgive me."

Mordred smirked, and his words were threatening. "Nobody do anything. We can deal with the others later. As for now, Emrys… is mine." And with that, a spark lit up from the palm of his hand and was thrust towards Merlin. Several cries for Merlin to move were heard, the loudest of which came from Arthur, whose voice was full of worry, fear, and pain at the thought of losing Merlin. The fear however, was short lived, and an overwhelming shock began to set in as Merlin swatted the magic away as one might swat away a fly, and retaliated with a spark of his own; his eyes flashing a brilliant gold with the burst of magic.

The back and forth duel carried on for quite a while, and soon Mordred and Merlin had edged close enough together that the battle of magic turned into the occasional physical blow. And, in the sudden heat of the moment, when Merlin had managed to trap Mordred in a temporary magical bind, Merlin yelled for a sword.

An instinctive trigger insider Arthur called him to help Merlin, and before he realised what he was doing, one swift movement saw Arthur cutting through the air, then straight through Mordred's neck. Mordred's men were too slow to react, but when they were finally able to take in the death of their master, they dropped their weapons and made a quick retreat. The battle was over.

"Arthur…" Arthur's eyes fell upon Merlin. He was at a loss for words. As Arthur and Merlin stared at each other, the surrounding environment seemed to fade to nothing, and all sound became mute. "Arthur, just please… let me explain-"

"We're done here." He finally said. "For violating our laws against the use of magic, you are not sentenced to death, but you are instead banished from the kingdom of Camelot. Indefinitely. I thank you for your all you've done; we would all be dead now if it wasn't for you. But, I cannot accept this; I cannot forgive you. We will take you back to Camelot where you can pick up your things and say your goodbyes, and then you will be escorted to the border, and barred from returning."

"Arthur…" Merlin began.

"Or you can leave now and be done with it!" Arthur yelled. It was clear to see tears threatening to overcome his resolve, but Arthur stood firm and focused.

Silently, Merlin walked up to Arthur and gently placed his hand on Arthur's wounded right side. He muttered "Þurhhæle dolgbenn", and the wound healed itself. "I truly am sorry." And with that, he turned his back and walked away.


End file.
